Penn State gets verbal from Harrisburg DT

Monday

Jan 28, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Penn State's defensive line got bigger Sunday — a lot bigger.

JOE MIEGOC

Penn State's defensive line got bigger Sunday — a lot bigger.

Harrisburg defensive tackle Brandon Ware became the 15th player, and fourth defensive lineman, to give the Nittany Lions a verbal commitment for this year's class. Players have to wait until Feb. 6, which is national letter-of-intent signing day, to make it official.

The 6-foot-4, 345-pound Ware made an official visit to State College over the weekend without a written scholarship offer from Penn State. Nittany Lions defensive line coach Larry Johnson gave him one Saturday.

"Coach Johnson offered me the scholarship (Saturday) when we were watching the highlight film of the defensive line," Ware told Blue White Illustrated on Sunday. "He said, 'I'm going to let you think about it, just let me know (Sunday) what you're going to do.' We went to (Penn State head) Coach (Joe) Paterno's house, and we were sitting around the table, and he was telling me about all the great things about Penn State.

"He didn't have to say nothing, I was ready to come. As soon as that was over, I said that I want to commit."

Ware had an offer from Temple and was getting interest from Pittsburgh, Virginia, Buffalo and Connecticut. He became Penn State's third commitment in just over a week, joining Reston, Va., wide receiver A.J. Price and Pittsburgh offensive tackle Mike Farrell.

Ware, rated by Rivals.com as a two-star prospect, was a Class AAAA All-State first-team selection in 2007 after making made 35 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks to go along with one forced fumble. He had 45 tackles, 10 TFL, eight sacks, two deflected passes and one fumble recovery as a junior.

"It feels great, it's an honor because it's Penn State," Ware said. "Just the name of Penn State and Joe Paterno being the head coach since before I was born. It's an honor and I can't wait to get started."

Because his highest SAT score is a 950 Ware needs to raise his core grade point average to 2.17 from its current 2.11. He is scheduled to retake the SAT on March 1 and will take the ACT on Feb. 9. The Penn State coaching staff is hoping he can enroll in July with the rest of this class, but should he not qualify he will most likely end up at prep school. If he went that route he would greyshirt, meaning his scholarship would not count for this year's class and he would not enroll at Penn State until January 2009 or for the 2009 fall semester.

"I talked to the people involved with what I want to major in, the Dean of Communications, and he said that there is no way to slip because if you're slipping they'll find you," Ware said. "That's what my mom was worried about, she didn't want me to get lost in the cracks. They told me about the mandatory study hall and all that and I feel like I can get a great education, get my degree and play football."

In other recruiting news, Celina, Tx., defensive back D'Anton Lynn reaffirmed his verbal commitment to Penn State on Sunday night.

The three-star prospect originally committed to the Nittany Lions in November, but decided to explore his options after Brian Norwood, Penn State's safeties coach and Lynn's recruiter, left to be Baylor's defensive coordinator prior to the Nittany Lions' 24-17 victory over Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl in December. Lynn took an official visit to Texas Tech, where his father played Anthony Lynn played, last month and was considering the Red Raiders, Baylor and Oklahoma as possible destinations.